CherylAnnHillsArtist

 Does social media have a reset button? Maybe a factory reset?? I unwittingly participated in a self-experiment this week; I spent way way too much time consuming content on social media. My profile is found on just three, Insta, FB and YT. The bird one I see as being a bit to confrontational for my tastes, at least that’s my impression so I'm not on there. Oh yeah and the clock one, I use that one too. Speaking of impressions; does anyone really know what that means? After 7 days of scrolling, swiping, streaming and clicking over 5hrs a day on social I’ve noticed a few things.   A lot of people speak really really fast. Sometimes being selective about the words you use, slowing down and expressing personal emotion are more effective at telling a story. Or maybe its just me. I like things simple. Right?   I hate sales, selling and having someone sell or be salesy to me. Yuck. Its just icky to me. Could be just me feels this way. IDK   The social accounts I am m...

Great! Now I have your attention!! Remember the old commercials with the cool sing-along jingles and the terrifyingly large cartoon characters that would tell you why that thing was sooooo GRRRRReat!!!? Sadly, that type of marketing is gone. We’ve oversold ourselves and now no one wants to listen to anyone who asks us to buy this or buy that. Every second of every day is filled with sales pitches and marketing gimmicks. And we’re really good at scrolling past… Recently I read on social media someone’s post talking about the new generations (30 and under) and how they buy everything from Amazon, and no one can compete. I feel that’s only partially true. While price and accessibility have always been important to consumers; more often, we are looking for products that are made local, are socially or environmentally responsible and provide the best quality product for a fair price. I’m a Gen X and these things are important to me too as a consumer. There will always be those who sho...

Here’s some stuff I’m working on for this coming season and year. It will blow your mind!!! Look at me!! Its only been a few weeks since my last post!!!! (pats back lightly….) I have made a list! Yes indeed. Lists are good. They make your brain see the thoughts on a paper and then feel guilty if you don’t follow thru later. No but seriously it’s been proven that if you write with pen on paper your thoughts, ideas and plans you are more likely to not only remember them but also commit to doing them. Plus the act of checking off or crossing out the item when it’s completed is really quite satisfying (apparently your brain sends a little endorphin “feel good” packet )   So write stuff down. Or at least try it if you’re not already doing it. Alright so my list includes a whole gamut of art projects I want to start and complete over the next 4 months as well as things I want to learn. First off; my list included updating my website and linking this blog to it. Check mark ...

Since deciding to take this particular path and dedicate most of my energy to my art I have discovered and experienced a lot of varying opinions and ideas about art, artists and the “art world”. Some of these ideas I feel are outdated and old world while some are truly forward thinking and applicable to current societal applications. Let’s look at some outdated ideas first.   You can NEVER earn a livable income as an artist creating art. I was told this from the very beginning by very well meaning family members. Of course, I was a child and believed it so I chose to pursue graphic design as a career because there were more opportunities to earn a reliable income. While there are many graphic design opportunities these days it was not the case when I first started in the industry. Even so, there is never a guarantee in ANY industry that there will be a job opening available at all times. Many college and university graduates can attest to this.   Art is for th...

Ok so first, I apologise for the week delay on this last part. I’ve been prepping for my upcoming solo art exhibit in Hamilton . Tomorrow I will be at the gallery installing the exhibit. I will cover this adventure in a future post. Stay tuned! Now on to Craft Show tips . Marketing tools; brochures, bus cards, booth display Your decision to include or not various marketing tools before, during and after the show depends greatly on your overall vision of your craft making activities. If you are a hobbyist who has simply run out of room at home for all your wonderful crafty creations and your friends and family are finding it hard to be surprised with your gifting; then maybe it’s time to sell some of your inventory. As a hobbyist your risk is minimal because your crafty activities are not your main source of income. Printing off a few basic business cards on your own ink jet printer at home is the most you probably need. You can also make a basic sign to insert into a d...